XPD Australia

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Walsh River re shuffles the leaders

Steve Cooper - SleepMonsters Australia / 22.05.2010

Descibed as tiger country, to top 5 teams are now headed into one of the toughest legs, taking close to 24hrs for the 70km paddle the top 5 teams are now spread over approx 5sq km, not alot but in an area where there is not one track, navigation and route choice is going to be critical.

Orion Adventure and McCain Adventure Addicts where first off the water, Orion 1st and McCain 29mins behind them. Blackheart.com.au are now back in 4th 2 hrs behind Orion with Merrell Akali 30 mins in front of Blackheart.com.au, with City Bike Depot hot on their heels. Orion and McCain showed a clean set of heals or blades as it may have been taking 4 hrs out of Blackheart, CBD did well to make up time also making up time on the earlier leaders.

With all teams now at Mid Camp or beyond effectively on 70 and a bit kilometres or 50 miles seperates all the Teams, paddling down the river for the majority of teams is now going to be in darkness, for the international teams and i am sure plenty of the local ones there will be much talk of eyes in the river and on the back cutting through the darkness.

Within the next hour Alpineepic.co.nz and SCAR should be off the water, leaving the rest of the field to enjoy the eirie calm of an outback river with only critters and team mates for company. One saving grace will be respite from any stinging trees and some cool water to soothe competitors wounds.

More as it comes to hand.

News as of 9.40pm AEST Blackheart.com.au has closed on Orion and McCain passing Merrell Akali by picking a route further to the north west through the hills using the lie of the land to their advantage.See All Event Posts